Yes, they are different! All compostable items are biodegradable, but not all biodegradable items are compostable!
Biodegradable, by definition, has no time requirement, so a product could take 100 years to biodegrade. Whereas compostable products follow strict ASTM Standards and have a short time limit in days, not years.
In addition, biodegradable materials can sometimes leave behind metal residue and other non-natural byproducts, whereas, compostable materials create compost (also called humus) that is 100% natural and safe to have in our environment.
Please make sure all items going into food scrap carts are certified BPI compostable and you will be following the strict ASTM standards properly. Thank you.